BLs and day care

So, I think that I'd like to try BLS with my daughter (6 mo old). We've tried spoon feeding her some things, but she seems some where between uninterested and unhappy about it.

One thing I am confused about, though...how does this work with daycare? When would she be eating solids actually at daycare? Right now, she's just on breast milk. Will my daycare provider have a problem if she's not eating from a spoon (I'm not sure she'd appreciate the extra mess)? Will I be able to get her to take food from a spoon eventually? How often should she eat something? At this stage, is daily enough? A few times a week? When do we increase to multiple times a day? anyone know of any books about this?

Last edited by @llli*tallmadre; October 17th, 2012 at 08:45 PM.
Reason: hit post before I was actually done.

Re: BLs and day care

she doesn't need to take any solids during the day at all until she's close to 1. or you can send foods you want her to have. you'll have to talk to your DCP about it - they may not be familiar with it, but you're the one paying them, so they should feed her what & how you say.

if you WANT to feed her from a spoon you can, but it's actually really not necessary - she'll figure it out herself when she's a little older, it's not that hard.

breastmilk/formula should be the primary food until age 1. there's no need to have any kind of schedule or set amounts of food now: under 1 is just for fun! if you do it that way you'll notice her gradually taking more food without you having to monitor it or track it or anything. as long as she's still nurisng on demand, first, she's getting all the nutrition she needs.

Re: BLs and day care

To do BLS your baby needs to:

1) Ability to sit up unassisted.
2) Showing an interest in food at mealtimes (although some babies do this earlier and its just practicing and copying.)
3) Tongue thrust has disappeared (baby doesn’t push solids out of their mouth.)
4) Able to put food into their mouth by themselves.

Most probably that will happen closer to 8 mo, of course all babies are different so it depends but at 6mo she's a bit too young JMO

Re: BLs and day care

I didn't worry about the spoon feeding at daycare but did BLS at home (except DH was so not into the mess so he spoon fed... compromise for the sake of love and marriage) anyways, I didn't send foods with DS until he met 1-3 on lasbi.modeu's list. He was almost 7 mo at that time. But if DCP will do BLS yay!!!! mine wouldn't. I love doing BLS I just think getting to make a mess is so much fun. DS and I had a great time with it.

Married to the best husband ever since Nov 2009
DS born 1/7/12 at 36 wks after PROM and Gestational diabetes happy and healthy ~

Re: BLs and day care

I know a few moms that wanted to do BLS at daycare and there providers said no. I don't know if that is common everywhere, however. Really, if your baby isn't into solids, there is no reason to push it. I think baby knows best in these instances. I'm not saying you shouldn't keep trying, but it really isn't a problem if you baby isn't interested right now! In some ways BLS is SO Much messier than purees! I sometimes give my daughter cottage cheese to pick up and it is so messy, but she likes it much better that way and still gets a good amount in her mouth (and good amount on the floor). My daughter was always into eating but we didn't give her finger food until 7 months (she is 8 months now). We started with banana and avocado diced up pretty small and she caught on pretty quick. Now she eats chicken from her tray, pears, apples, you name it!

Re: BLs and day care

Originally Posted by @llli*auderey

this is funny, i thought it was spoon feeding purees that made the mess, and BLS was so much cleaner!

I'm not really sure I did it right. I didn't read anything about it really, and the foods I presented were VERY well cooked so they basically fell apart or mushed by looking at them. DS is almost 10 mo and still doesn't really feed himself except on occasion, he just started chewing recently.

Married to the best husband ever since Nov 2009
DS born 1/7/12 at 36 wks after PROM and Gestational diabetes happy and healthy ~

Re: BLs and day care

Originally Posted by @llli*mer.mer

I'm not really sure I did it right.

to me the whole benefit of BLS is that there is no "right" - you just don't have to worry about the rules or the stages or whatever. of course, i've also never actually read the BLS website or book or anything, i just heard about the principle and thought, hey, that sounds easy.

Re: BLs and day care

I don't think there is a "right" either. I just wait until they are ready (as per the # steps above) and then give them some things they can pick up with their fingers (not chokable, no allergen foods) and see what they do with it. If they don't want to try or don't eat anything, I try again another time. DD2 wasn't even eating until just past her first birthday. She's fine now she's almost 4.

Re: BLs and day care

Originally Posted by @llli*auderey

to me the whole benefit of BLS is that there is no "right" - you just don't have to worry about the rules or the stages or whatever. of course, i've also never actually read the BLS website or book or anything, i just heard about the principle and thought, hey, that sounds easy.

But there is. The principles that are laid out in the book and on the website and some very black and white DOs And DON'Ts. Luckily it's a very interesting and easy read.